This invention relates to an automatic sintering machine equipped with die cooling systems coupled to the sintering plates.
The machine is equipped with systems which automatically convey the dies to the heating plates, and subsequently, at the end of the cycle, to the cooling plates.
The machine is controlled by electronic devices which control the various functions, and is equipped with an optical pyrometer designed to detect the die temperature which is connected to the movable plate so that it always remains perfectly centered, regardless of the plate movements caused by the reduction in volume of the material sintered.
Known sintering machines basically consist of a press into which the die and the material to be sintered are introduced, equipped with systems designed to heat the plates which press on the die, heating it to the temperature required for this operation.
Known sintering machines, all of which are fitted with a single pair of plates, present the drawback that at the end of the sintering cycle it is necessary to wait a few minutes for the die to cool before removing it, failing which the finished product can present numerous defects.
In addition to wasting time, this system also involves very high energy consumption, as first the die and then the support and compression plates must be heated to a high temperature and then cooled, wasting much of the heat developed, which will have to be produced again for the next sintering cycle.
In addition, the temperature reached is a critical factor in obtaining a good result, and it must therefore be measured with the greatest precision.
Optical pyrometers which can be positioned and secured as required along a fixed support are generally used for this purpose.
Another drawback of known machines relates to the fact that, as already mentioned, the material sintered is reduced to about a fifth of the initial volume, with the result that it is difficult to monitor temperature variations precisely with a fixed-position pyrometer.